Collaborative Research: Mapping hydrothermal fluid flow near Davidson Seamount, eastern Pacific Ocean

Seafloor hydrothermal systems transfer fluids, metals, and heat between the crust and ocean. Active hydrothermal sites can deposit critical minerals and support novel seafloor communities. This project will study 20 million year old seafloor in the eastern Pacific Ocean at one of the few locations where hydrothermal fluid flow has been observed in older oceanic crust. A multi-disciplinary team will map the study region, measure temperatures beneath the seafloor, and collect fluid samples. The results will be important for better understanding hydrothermal systems, critical mineral formation, and seafloor communities. The project will provide research opportunities and training for undergraduate and graduate students and will support outreach presentations to schools and the general public. This study will combine campaign-based surveys, measurements, and sampling with year-long deployments of instruments at Davidson Seamount. Field programs will 1) conduct nested surveys of bathymetry, seismic reflection, and heat-flow data and 2) collect sediment pore fluids, water column fluids, and spring fluids. Analyses will test hypotheses concerning the magnitude of hydrothermal flows around Davidson Seamount, illuminate geological and hydrogeologic controls on flow patterns and rates, and use natural chemical tracers to fingerprint recharge areas and assess the extent and rates of water-rock-sediment interaction during rapid lateral transport in the upper crust. This is a multi-institutional collaboration that leverages existing data and platforms and engages federal and private regional partners. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.